Independent Review Mechanism (IRM)

Mandate

The IRM’s mandate is to provide people adversely affected by a project financedby the African Development Bank (AfDB) with an independent mechanism through which they can request the AfDB to comply with its own policies and procedures. The IRM interveneswhen people or communities affected submit a complaint. In this way, the IRM can be considered as a recourse instrument for project affected people who have previously been unable to resolve their problems with the AfDB’s Management. Read more

The compliance review is undertaken by an independent Group of Experts. The CRMU undertakes the problem-solving exercises and outreach activities to fulfill its mandate and to contribute to the AfDB’s overall objectives. For Public Sector projects, the IRM can review compliance with all operational policies and procedures. For the Private Sector, compliance reviews shall only be undertaken for social and environment policies.

Filling a Complaint

Who can file a complaint?

Are you or your community affected by a AfDB-financed project? Has an individual or community come to your organization to seek assistance concerning social and/or environmental impacts of an AfDB financed Project? Have you attempted to discuss the problems resulting from these impacts with the Bank?

For recourse, CRMU receives request presented by two or more persons (such as community of persons, an organization, association, society or other grouping of individuals) or by a qualified representative of the affected persons who demonstrate that their rights or interests have been or are likely to be adversely affected by the non-compliance of of the relevant Bank Group policies. Read more

How to file a complaint?

Submissions need to be in writing, dated and signed and sent by any suitable means (e.g. letter, email, fax, etc.) to the Director of CRMU, AfDB B.P. 323 – 1002, Tunis Belvedere, Tunisia (Tel.: +216 71102056 - Fax.: +216 71835699- Email: crmuinfo@afdb.org) or to any of the AfDB’s field offices in the respective country of the requestors. No specific format is required. If desired, requestor’s names and contacts can be kept confidential. The requests shall state all the relevant facts including the harm suffered by or threatened to affected parties by the alleged act or omission of the AfDB entity in contravention of its applicable policies and procedures. Read more